Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-19
SLAVE INsURaECrION BRAZIL.
Two Bodies Of Police Defeated by Ne
groCS Flying 40 the SsOuntains.

A RIO Janciro letter says This week
has been an anxious one to the planters
Of San Paulo. On the 18th the slaves
on two plantations in the municipality
of Cnpivarv struck work simultaneously,
seized all the horses ard mules and
started, men, women, and children. TO
the number of about sixty, in the direc
ton Of Santos.
On news Of the stampede reaching tn
the ten policemen in the town were sent
TO stop the Iunaways. bu; they were dis
armed, stripped naked, and soundly
throshcd. Twenty police cavalry, armed
with Spencer caIhncs. sent from San
Paulo, came upon the rnnaways already
increased considerably by acccssions
from other plantations, in strong posi-
tion near Amparo. in a wooded defile
covered by deep stream in front The
slaves hnd shotR6ns, some receivers, and
their bill hoOkS--the latter 10 contempti-
bic weapon az close quarters when WELD
cd by the hrawny and accustomed hands
Of field women and men.
After some firing tae police, many Of
whom were wounded with SHOT, Gt.
tempted a charge across the creek, Int
the first one was cut down with q bill
hook, end, although his comrades slew
his assGilan:, the appearance Of the
blacks who were hurrying up 20 the at
tack was so dangerous that the police
made q rapid retreat to Amparo, whore
they arrived SO demoralizcd that they
did not venture to dispute the passage
through the town OF body of forty
slaves coming from another point and
seeking junction with the main body.
These slaves did no injury f. person or
property as they won't through, and con
tented themselves with shouting to the
police, "Hurrah for liberty. We prefer
death to recapture.
On news Of the repulse Of the police
the chief Of police started from San
PaulO with seventy more policemen, and
fifty soldiers, just mp from Rio JaneIro,
were posted next morning on the Santos
road. But all the efforts to intercept the
slaves were unayailng, and they sue
ceedcl TO the number Of abCU. four
hundred. IN reaching the forest wllds Of
tie mOuutiin range Overhanglng the city
Of Santos, in whose reccSscs several nun
bred other plantation stampeders had
previously found refuge and security.
The planters are greatly alarmed, in
asmuch as not only have the slaves armed
themselves and vcnturcd ID oppose force
to force. for the first time, but also be
cause they have scored victory in their
first armed encounter with the force on
which the san Paulo planters must rely
for their own defence against Save in
surTections. The Government haviag de-
clarcd recently in the Senate that the
planters must look out for themselves,
as if would lie impossible to furnish
national forces in sufficient number
TO meet any serious emergency.
And, in addition, II is well known that
the anti-s,aycry feeling is 50 general and
strong in the army and navy that a ma
iority Of the officers would feel insulted
at beng called upon to hunt down runa-
way slaves, and the men could not be
relied upon to use their arms upon men
and women seeking freedom. More
over. the Ministers are most reluctant TO
employ the national forces against the
slaves, knowing what storm Of e1ecra-
ton would fall upon their own heads in
case OF bloodshed.
On the Both Of September Rio had
only 7.01l slaves, n decrease Of 52j since
April of this year.